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4 ASIAN TRADER 1 NOVEMBER 2024

Sainsbury’s has kicked of a

range improvement pro-

gramme across its convenience

store estate as part of its plan to

revamp the smaller stores.

According to recent

reports, the supermarket will

carry out a full range review,

where it will assess which

items are performing well in

its convenience arm Sains-

bury’s Local stores. This will

include whether particular

lines need to be removed or

added, including its selection

of “dine in” or “food-to-go”

products.

The supermarket will also be

looking at how it can better use

the space in its convenience.

Sainsbury’s has previously

announced plans to open

between 20 and 25 convenience

stores annually to increase its

presence on the high street.

As of June 2024, Sainsbury’s

has 834 convenience stores in

the UK.

It comes as Sainsbury’s and

Argos conﬁ rmed plans to hire

18,000 people at Sainsbury’s

and 2,000 workers at Argos to

help cover the busy Christmas

period.

Sainsbury’s to revamp

Local c-stores

Let the party begin

he clocks have been turned back, Halloween has risen

and returned to the grave, and now Diwali has lit up its

lanterns to show us the path ahead. Winter is of cially

almost here, but instead of hunkering down it is time to put

on your glad-rags and head to the 35th Asian Trader Awards.

Last year’s event was a packed-out triumph, and we hope to

ensure this year’s celebration is at least as vibrant

This issue went to press before the Chancellor’s

Autumn Statement – predicted to be dark and chilly – and

it is published just two days after it, which puts us in the

position of having any predictions immediately exposed

as right or wrong in the harsh glare of immediate judge-

ment. Andrew Goodyear’s very interesting column in this

issue does not make predictions, but rather outlines

Bira’s position and what storeowners should be looking

for in the budget – and it will be very interesting to

discover how far Chancellor Rachel Reeves is aligned

with retailers’ interests.

With the festive season fast approaching, it will be

interesting to see whether shoppers decide to open their

purses to buy festive treats – biscuits and cakes, advent

calendars (should be in stock now!) and confectionery,

spirits and wines and beers aplenty. The self-treat season,

if merchandised smartly, can mean repeat purchases

from late September right up to New Year.

The fact that the latest figures show that inflation is

finally under control (a little less in grocery than other

categories, but we can’t import our food from China) has

prompted speculation about another drop in interest

rates later this month. The immediate effect another

quarter per cent off one’s mortgage might mean for

champagne sales is slightly overdone in the Press, but at a

mass level, it will lift consumer spirits and on average

raise expenditure a bit more.

There is some evidence that a dip in customers filling

up their baskets in September, despite the cost-of-living

crisis slowing or even reversing (some hope!) may be due

to strategic forbearance – that shoppers are delaying

deploying money saved until they see the whites of Santa

Claus’s eyes, when they will suddenly go wild with

seasonal spending.

All we can recommend, absent evidence that people

are more broke rather than less, is that retailers should

stock carefully, merchandise colourfully, and pay close

attention to our upcoming festive product features to see

what might be at the top of consumers’ wish-lists this

festive season.

Perhaps the best Christmas gift the government could

give to hard-pressed and sorely-tried shopkeepers would

be finally to take retail crime seriously. As we report, the

ongoing crime wave, compounded by the appalling

inaction of police, has worn out the patience of retailers,

who now, short of being physically injured, do not even

bother to report most crimes. This terrible situation will

only be made worse by the draconian edicts of the upcom-

ing vape and tobacco ban, which will be welcomed by the

various foreign mafias who are moving in to take over

illicit trade in the UK.

Ministers are facing “pres-

sure” to increase the price of

cheap alcohol in England by

introducing minimum unit

pricing for alcohol after a

recent report highlighted the

“alarming” death toll in

England caused by cheap

drinks.

Lord Darzi’s investigation

into the NHS report, published

earlier this month, said deaths

attributed to alcohol stabilised

when “tough action” was

taken. He was referring to the

duty escalator, which increased

alcohol duty by two per cent

above inﬂ ation each year

between 2008 and 2014.

Darzi wrote, “Alcohol is

becoming more af ordable over

time, and deaths are rising at an

alarming rate. In the pandemic,

there was a 10.8% annual increase

between 2019 and 2022.”

A two-litre bottle of cider can

be bought in England for under

£2, which equates to 22p per

unit of alcohol.

Health of cials believe a

review is almost certain given

the ﬁ ndings of the report and

the rising death toll, even

though the government

reportedly ruled out minimum

unit pricing shortly after

winning power.

“It raises the price of the

strongest, cheapest drinks – the

ones that cause most harm,”

said Richard Piper, CEO of

Alcohol Change UK.

Scotland introduced

minimum unit pricing in 2018,

with a minimum of 50p per

unit. The price rose on Monday

to 65p. This puts the minimum

price for a 700ml bottle of 40

per cent ABV whisky at £18.20;

a 700ml bottle of 13% wine

£6.34; and a litre bottle of 5%

alcohol cider £3.25. Wales

introduced minimum unit

pricing in March 2020.

‘Pressure’ on Govt to impose new rule despite

Scottish results

Calls to bring minimum unit

pricing for alcohol in England

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